Fight
by Mikaaaaaaaaaa
Summary: Ater the Colossal Titan attacks her hometown, Asami of Shiganshina joins the 104th Cadet Corps. She is reunited with their friends from Shiganshina, who share the same dream and are willing to Fight. During an operation to reclaim Trost District after another attack, both Asami and Eren's life take a drastic turn, as the two are put under custody of Captain Levi of the Scouts.
1. Beginning

Today was the day.

The day Asami of Shiganshina District would join the Cadets. Or at least, try to.

5 years ago, the Colossal Titan appeared, destroying the gate of Shiganshina, and allowing the Titans into the city.

After that, the Armored Titan appeared, breaching Wall Maria.

Asami had been in a camp for a year, working, trying to make up for the food shortage within Trost District.

Anybody who'd escaped Maria old enough to join the military was sent on a mission to, "reclaim the wall", but Asami knew better.

It had been the military's way of thinning the herd, trying to make the situation better.

20% of the population had left. Less than 200 returned.

Asami's father had passed during that operation. Her mother had gotten lucky, and made it back. She'd died after.

This all came flooding back to the girl, as all of the applying Cadets stood in the dirt field, waiting for their instructor to welcome them.

The instructor walked to the front of the rows and rows of Cadets.

The teenagers saluted him.

Instructor Keith Shadis was a tan, bald man with brown, sunken eyes. "Welcome, cadets!" He shouted. "This place is going to be your hell for the next three years! As of now, just for having the stomach to be here, you are certified titan fodder! For the next three years I'm going to push you so hard you'll want to crawl into a hole and die! I'm going to push you so hard, 20% of you aren't going to have the _stomach_ to continue. I am going to push you so hard, that by the time you leave here, you _will_ be certified bad-asses! Do I make myself clear?"  
"Yes, sir!" The cadets shouted.

Asami was ready.

She was ready to be worked. She was ready to be pushed to her limits- hell, she wanted to _know_ those limits. She was ready to climb up the ranks, the hard way.

Because more than anything, she wanted to see the outside world.

Because, more than _anything_ , she wanted to join the Scouts.

She'd been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed Keith Shadis making her way towards her.  
He'd been interrogating the cadets. And Asami was ready for her turn.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two people. A tall man, with slicked-back blond hair, and a short man, with parted black hair, and bored, yet interrogating black eyes.  
And they weren't cadets.

"You!" Shadis shouted, coming to stand in front of Asami. He towered over her, him being tall, and her being short. "Who the hell are you, shorty?"  
"Asami Suzuki, sir!" Asami chanted up at the man.

He grabbed her face, squishing her cheeks in between his fingers. "You look more like a doll than a fighter! Where the hell are you from?"  
Asami, staring right up at the instructor, took his hand, and slowly removed it from her face. "Shiganshina District, sir."  
Everybody around gasped, either because she'd had the guts to touch the Instructor, or because of where she came from. Even the two men standing off to the side raised their eyebrows. Well, the blond man did. The short one continued to look bored.

"I see." Shadis said, crossing his arms. "Why are you here?"  
"To contribute to humanity's battle against the Titans, sir."  
"Asami," The man mused. "Can you fight?"

"Yes, sir." Asami answered.

"I see." He murmured.  
Completely out of the blue, he lunged toward her, grabbing the collar of her shirt.

Out of instinct, Asami pulled on his right arm, took his left hand, and tripped him, throwing him to the ground.

Realizing what she'd done, she held onto his arms, stopping him right before he hit the ground.

Everybody gaped at the girl. The blond man looked shocked, but Levi's face looked as steely as ever, with the exception that his eyes had widened.

Asami pulled the man up. "Sorry, sir. You startled me."  
Shadis looked her over. "Very good, Suzuki. You have my respect." The man responded, before nodding and walking off.  
Asami gaped. She'd heard stories of that guy, about how horrible and rotten he was. She'd just flipped that guy, and he _respected_ her.

Shadis had started to walk past the blond boy next to her, when he slowly backtracked. "You!" He yelled. "Coconut! Who the hell are you?"  
"Armin Arlert of Shiganshina, sir!" Armin yelled back, trying his best to sound brave.

 _Oh God, it's Armin!_ Asami thought. She'd run around and played with him and Eren and Mikasa all of the time when they were little- Or, whenever they could.  
Asami's dad had been, well, difficult, about playing with the doctor's son and his friends.

He'd referred to them all as peasants.  
And every time he'd done it, Asami had yelled at him, told him not to talk about her friends that way.  
Eren, the brown-haired boy who'd always wanted to see the outside world, had yelled at the man, too, telling him his daughter could be friends with whomever she wanted.

Eren had been especially set on convincing Asami's father to let them be friends. Eren and Asami had gotten along so well. For Christ's sake, they shared the same dreams. Asami just wasn't as quick to announce it.

Shadis spun Armin around, so he faced some of the other cadets.  
"Psst! Armin!" Asami whispered.

The blond boy looked at her, surprise sparking in his eyes. "Asami?" He asked.  
"Long time no see, blondie!" Asami grinned up at the boy. She was short; shorter than everybody else excluding the blond girl a few rows away.

"It's so great to see you!" Armin whispered.

"Yeah, you too." Asami said, smiling sweetly at the boy. "You're here. That means you survived the attack. That makes me so happy. Are Eren and Mikasa…" Her sparkling eyes clouded with dread. She was going to ask if they were here as well, but another possibility was there. She didn't even finish her sentence, the thought of her childhood friends being dead unbearable.

"They're fine. They're here, too." Armin assured her hastily, upon seeing her expression darken.

Asami perked up. "Thank God! I was really hoping we'd meet in the refugee camps, that is, if you guys were still alive."  
Armin chuckled. "Yeah, we were there. I thought I saw you a few times. Eren kept telling me I was lying. He kept saying you'd probably gotten away to Wall Sina with your family. He's going to be ecstatic when he sees you!"  
"I know! I can't wait to see him and Mikasa again! I really, really hoped we'd meet again. Thank God you're all safe."  
Armin chuckled again. "Same to you. I was worried you hadn't gotten out safely. Same goes for Mikasa and Eren. I could tell he still worried you hadn't gotten out of the city, despite what he said about your going to Wall Sina. We all really missed you."  
"I missed you guys, too." Asami replied, smiling at the boy.

"Suzuki! Arlert! Did I say you could chat?" The instructor barked.

Asami looked forward again. "No, sir!" She and Armin chanted.

"Good! Now, shut your pie-holes or I'll make you run laps!"

They decided it was best not to respond. He _had_ told them to shut up.

Asami giggled quietly. "Talk later." She whispered to Armin, who she could see smile and nod.

Later came quickly.

At dinner time, the girls and boys filed into the mess hall from their barracks. While the staff were preparing dinner for the cadets, Asami stood out on the porch, watching the girl who'd been eating the potato at the initiation run.  
She giggled to herself, remembering the instructor flip out on poor Sasha Braus. Asami made a mental note to slip the girl some food later on.

"Asami!" Someone called. She matched the voice to Armin, who emerged behind a small crowd, pulling somebody behind him, a girl following the two boys.

The protesting boy Armin had been dragging behind him was Asami's age. He had short, chocolate-brown hair and emerald-green eyes that were always on fire.

"-No way!" He was saying. "You're lying. She had to of left."  
"Look for yourself!" Armin said, pulling the boy forward so Asami Suzuki and Eren Jaeger stood face-to-face.  
He looked shocked. "Asami… but how… I thought…" He didn't even get to finish. Asami tackled him in a hug.  
Despite her size, the girl was strong. Asami knocked Eren right on his butt, and she clung to him.

She'd been at the refugee camp for an entire year, and hadn't seen Eren, Mikasa or Armin once. She'd assumed they'd died. The thought had broken her heart.

They'd been best friends when they'd been children. Can you imagine how devastated Asami was when they hadn't turned up at the refugee camp? To have your best friends suddenly _die_ when you're eleven years old? It's hard.

Eren pulled her back to study her face. "It''s definitely you. Strong as hell." He muttered, then laughed. "It's great to see you, Asami. We missed you."  
The girl hugged him again. "I missed you guys, too. Armin and I were together at initiation. He told me you guys made it. I was so excited to see you all again." Asami giggled, overwhelmed with joy. She stood, and extended a hand, which Eren used to hoist himself up.

She turned to Mikasa, and hugged her as well.

Mikasa didn't like many people. She didn't open up to anybody. So you could imagine Asami's joy when Mikasa had taken a liking to the small girl.  
"I missed you, Asami." Mikasa said. Asami breathed in the larger girl's scent. She smelled like flowers, just like she always did.

The girl pulled back, admiring her three childhood friends, so thankful that they were alive and well. "I miss you guys, too. A lot." She sighed dreamily. "To think that the last time I saw you all we were just eleven years old, horsing around in Shiganshina."  
The four walked inside and sat down at a table together, Asami's friends wanting to catch up with her. Everybody else filed inside after the, eager to hear their stories. Food was passed out, so the cadets ate.

Those two adult soldiers sat at a table a bit farther away, eating, talking, and watching the group.

"So, Eren," Asami started, smiling at the boy across from her. "Are you still set on joining the Scouts?"

"Of course." He said. "How about you? You still want to join?"

"Definitely. I can't wait to!" Asami replied giddily. She really, _really_ wanted to join the Scout Regiment.

The blond man at the table raised his eyebrows, but the group didn't notice.

Armin laughed at Asami. "Whoa, Asami, you're getting way ahead of yourself! It's only day one!"  
"Sorry. It's just-"  
"The Scouts, huh?" Someone asked.

Asami spun in her seat to find a tall boy standing behind her, arms crossed, smirking deviously. He had light hair, shaven on the sides. His face was long, giving him a horse-like appearance.

Eren narrowed his eyes. "You're that guy who's aiming for the MP's, right?" He asked, referring to when he'd been interrogated at roll call. "I remember now. The guy who got head-butted for saying he wanted to live comfortably in the Interior. Jean Kirschtein, was it?"

"What's it to you, punk? I was just being honest. But joining the Scouts?" He gave a low whistle. "That's suicide."

Eren stood and walked around the table, fists balled.

Everybody turned to look at the confrontation that had broken out.

Asami stood, laying a hand on Eren's shoulder, and walking in front of him, so she faced Jean.  
His mouth widened when he saw her. Jean looked her over, taking in all of her beautiful features; her dark hair, and how it cascaded down her back. Her emerald-colored eyes boring into him. Her pale complexion shining in the torchlight of the mess hall. Her full, pink lips drawn in a frown. Her slim figure, now posed so her hand was on her hip.  
"And what," Asami asked, her voice cold and intimidating. "Is wrong with aiming for the Scouts, Jean Kirschtein?"

The boy blushed a deep shade of pink. "N-nothing! It's just…" The color in his face vacated, and he regained his composure. Jean smirked. "I mean, I could see this suicidal bastard wanting to go." He gestured at Eren. "But why would a doll like you want to go _outside_? I mean, _I_ think you'd be _much_ happier in the Interior with the MP's."

Asami narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Dolls like me don't give a shit what you think." She proceeded to knee Jean Kirschtein where it hurt. "And I suggest you don't criticise. I also suggest you don't insult my friend for wanting to go outside."

Jean gasped, clutching between his legs.  
Everybody gaped at the girl. The room was dead silent for a few moments.

Asami held out her hand for Jean. "I'm not trying to make enemies, Jean."  
He smirked up at her, despite the pain she'd just inflicted upon his being, and took her hand. "You've got skills, Asami, I'll give you that. Sorry for criticizing you."  
Asami smiled at the boy.

"Friends, then?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.  
"Sure." She said, shaking his hand.

"I'm sorry for criticizing your dreams. It's none of my business." Jean said to Eren, though he didn't sound half as genuine as he had when he'd apologized to Asami." He held out his hand.  
"Yeah," Eren said. "I'm sorry, too." He slapped Jean's hand, and the boys sat back down.  
Eren sat next to Asami. He slung his arm around her shoulder. "Man, that guy pissed me off. I could swear he was hitting on you. Kept looking you up and down. No self control." He said to Asami, rolling his eyes.  
She giggled. "It's okay. He learned his lesson."  
Eren laughed. "Yeah, that was great. You're still bad-ass. You kicked his butt, then befriended him." He laughed again. "I see nothing's changed."  
A short boy with a clean-shaven head walked over to the groups table. Asami remembered him as the small kid who'd gotten picked up by the head during the interrogation for doing the salute backwards. Connie Springer. She giggled at the thought.

"I heard you guys talking earlier." Connie said to Asami and Eren. You say you're from Shiganshina?"  
"Yeah." Eren said, uncomfortably.

"That means you saw the Colossal Titan!" He exclaimed, rather loudly.

Silence fell over the entire room.

 _The kids from Shiganshina._

Everybody crowded around them, pushing Mikasa and Armin back to get to hear Asami and Eren's answers. Even the two male soldiers had drifted over, and now leaned against the wall across from the two.

"Uh, yeah, we saw it. Or at least, I did." Eren answered, glancing at Asami.

"Eh? Yeah. I saw it, too." The girl answered, trying to keep cool. The Colossal Titan and the pain it had brought her wasn't something she liked thinking about.  
Everybody gasped.  
"How big was it?" Somebody asked.  
"I heard it stepped over the Wall!" Somebody else offered.  
"That was the rumor I heard in my village as well!" Someone agreed.

"It wasn't that big." Eren said. He'd been swirling his spoon around in his tray of soup, bored. "Just big enough to look over the Wall."

"Yeah." Asami agreed half-heartedly.

"You guys want to join the Scouts, right?" Somebody asked.  
"Yeah." Asami answered. She shrugged. "So?"  
"You guys already witnessed the horror of the Titans!" Somebody exclaimed. "Why would you ever want to see one again?"

That question made the two pause. Asami had no idea about Eren, but she'd been at the mercy of the Titans before. And _that_ was something she definitely didn't want to relive.

Asami's breath caught.  
Eren dropped his spoon and covered his mouth.

"Enough with the question, guys." Said a freckled boy, standing. "I'm sure there are things they don't want to remember."  
Asami left, wordlessly, despite everyone gazes following her out.

"You idiots." Jean said, his tone suggesting he was angry yet couldn't believe the cadets. "They're from Shiganshina. That means either their parents were eaten when the Titans breached the Wall, or their parents were sent on that mission to 'reclaim the wall'. Who in their right mind would let their kid join the military- the Scouts, of all places? What did you expect?"

Eren excused himself, and left, but not before shooting Jean nasty looks.

He mainly went to find Asami, and didn't even notice the two soldiers following him out.

Mikasa and Armin had been about to follow, but when they'd seen the soldiers leave behind their friends, decided it was best to not intrude.

Asami sat on the steps of the girls barracks. She noticed a tall, brown-haired figure walking out of the mess hall, and towards her. She managed a smile as Eren got close.

He sat down next to her. "So, you've got bad memories too, huh?"  
"Yeah. My parents actually made it out. My whole family. Dad…" Eren winced when she heard her speak of her father.

 _Man,_ Eren thought. _I hated that guy. He was such a jerk. But he was her father. No matter how much she hated him, she still cared about him. It makes me hate him even more, that he had to die and leave her and her mother alone._

Of course, Asami's mother hadn't been any better, always following the dad's lead. But, she'd wanted what was best for Asami. Her father hadn't wanted her daughter's mind to be corrupted by the "peasants".

"Dad…" Asami continued. "Was sent on that mission to 'reclaim the Wall'. So was Mom. Mom made it back. My father… he… he died. My mom died shortly after… because… because…" Asami seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. "I'm sorry. I don't want to think about it." She gave Eren a sad smile.

It fascinated everyone; Eren, Armin, Mikasa, how Asami could smile no matter what.

The two soldiers approached the children sitting on the porch. They stood, and saluted their superiors.

"At ease, cadets." The blond one said. "We're here to talk." The two dropped out of their salutes.  
The men had seemed so familiar before. Asami hadn't even realized it.

These guys…

These guys were from the Scout Regiment.

The insignia on their cloaks said so.

The Wings of Freedom.

"I'm Erwin, Commander of the Scout Regiment." Said the blond man. "This is my subordinate, Captain Levi." He gestured to the shorter man. "We heard you were interested in joining us."  
"Yes, sir." Asami said.

Commander Erwin chuckled. "What are your names, cadets?" He asked.

"Asami Suzuki and Eren Jaeger of Shiganshina District." Asami said formally.

The Commander arched an eyebrow. "Suzuki, huh?" He mused.

"Yes, sir." Asami silently pleaded he wouldn't bring up her family. Thank God he didn't.

"So, you're the two from Shiganshina, huh?" The short one, Levi, asked. He even sounded bored. "We saw your stunt in there, Suzuki. Nicely done, putting that boy in his place."  
"Thank you, sir." Asami thanked, which earned a chuckle from Erwin.  
"No need to be so formal, cadet. But I must say I was impressed. We would be very lucky to have a soldier like you in our ranks."

"Why is that, sir?" Asami asked, confused.

"We saw you throw the instructor today. We also saw you stand up to that cadet in the mess hall. It's clear you've had former martial arts training. You know where to draw the line. You're aware of your duties as a soldier. We need more soldiers like you."  
"Tch," Levi scoffed. "We still don't know what she can do, Erwin. You're getting ahead of yourself."  
Erwin chuckled again. "Yes, I know. There is still much to be proven. And her mind could change over the course of three years."  
"I've been set on joining the Scouts for years, sir, as has Eren. I don't think my mind will be changed." Asami answered.

Levi raised an eyebrow. "You're, what? Twelve? You've been set on this for years, huh? May I ask why?"  
Asami's face hardened. "I don't want to sit back and have the easy life… Not like..." She hesitated. " _Certain_ people wanted me to."

The men could tell she was holding information, but they decided not to pry. Only Eren knew the information she was withholding.

What she'd said was true, but there was another reason.  
"We want to see the outside world." Eren said.

"Really?" Erwin asked.  
Asami smiled, a small smile. "Yes, sir." But she wanted to know something. "Commander," She started.

"Just Erwin." Erwin corrected, smiling at the small girl.

"Erwin," She tried again. "I don't want to sound rude, but why are you here? I didn't know Scouts saw to training."  
Erwin chuckled. "We aren't here all of the time. We'll be staying a few days to scope out cadets with potential."  
"It's too early to tell just yet." Levi pointed out. "The brats haven't even been through training."  
"We'll see, Levi." Erwin muttered to his subordinate, smirking. "Curfew is soon, cadets. We'll be watching the both of you."

The cadets hadn't even noticed the sun descending from the sky. "Yes, sir." They said in unison, saluting the soldiers.

"Especially you, Princess." Levi said, nodding at Asami.

She smirked. "I'll try my best, Captain Shorty."  
He looked about to make a snide remark, but he closed his mouth. "Hmpf."  
Asami really didn't have the right to call him Shorty, he was taller than her. But hey, if she got a nickname, he gets one, too.

Erwin laughed. "Goodnight, cadets. We'll converse more tomorrow." With that, Commander Erwin and Captain Levi left, talking to each other as they disappeared behind the barracks.

As soon as they were out of view, Asami hugged Eren, who was taken by surprise.  
"Are you okay?" He asked.

"No," Asami said. "That was terrifying." But when she looked back up at him, she smiled.

"I can't believe we met them." Eren said. He didn't even seem down that they hadn't acknowledged him much, which relieved Asami.  
"I know. I really, _really_ hope we make the cut." Asami said.

"Don't worry about it." He patted her on the head. "We'll push each other forward. We stick together, right, Princess?"  
Asami smiled. "Yeah."

She didn't even care that Eren had called her Princess. She knew that was a nickname she was going to have the rest of her life.

She absolutely loved having her friends back.

Clueless anybody had been listening, the two walked back to the mess hall.

Erwin and Levi had heard their conversation.  
"What do you think?" Erwin asked Levi. "Looks sure can be deceiving."

"I think she'll be an exceptional soldier." Levi admitted. "Though her attachment to her friends is what's going to get her killed."

"I see what you mean. She is quite fond of that Jaeger boy. Friends? Definitely. More than friends? Quite possibly. They share the same dream. At least, if they make it, they'll know what they're jumping into. I admire the girl. She's seen hell. They both have. Yet that day seems to have no effect on her."  
"You're right. She smiles and laughs like she doesn't have a care in the world, but she knows when to get serious. She's broken, though." He paused. It was easy for him to read people, something he could do just by studying someone. "Her family?" He continued. "No way in hell they're alive."  
Erwin nodded. "Then we've both reached that conclusion. She has a history. A bloody one, at that. Jaeger as well. But we need not get into that now."  
The Commander and Captain left.

Training would start tomorrow. Everybody was anxious to get started and prove their worth.

But they didn't realize the hell they'd signed up for.


	2. Training

The first lesson was balance. According to Shadis, if you couldn't do this, you weren't fit to be a soldier.

It was day two of learning how to balance. Erwin and Levi watched as each soldier was raised into the air, attached to a pair of bars, and had to keep his or her balance.  
Balance was critical when using ODMGear.

Asami was a natural. She could balance perfect, her hands slightly out at her sides, her legs out, so it almost looked like she was sitting.  
Everybody watched as she perfectly kept her balance, trying to see how she did it.

Asami smiled the entire time.

"She's a natural." Erwin noted.

Levi nodded, looking across the row of bars. He saw that most cadets could keep their balance, while others just couldn't get it.

Finally, Asami was lowered, and she was partnered up with Eren Jaeger.  
Eren couldn't get it yesterday. He'd ended up injured after practicing later on in the evening.

"Raise him." Shadis commanded.

Asami spun the lever in circles, and Eren was slowly raised into the air.

"His gear is broken." Levi noticed, from the sidelines.

Erwin arched an eyebrow, studying the boy. "You're right. Nobody's has noticed yet."

Eren had kept his balance for a few seconds. Everybody cheered.

Then, he lost it, and fell backwards.  
Asami, being quick like she is, grabbed him under the arms before he could hit his head off the ground again.  
"Suzuki-" The instructor started. Technically, Asami wasn't supposed to leave her spot. If Eren fell, he fell. If Eren got injured, he got injured. And that meant he didn't make it.  
But she couldn't _let_ him fail. She couldn't join the Scouts without him. _He's_ the reason she even wanted to join the Scouts.  
 _We'll push each other forward._ His words rung in her head.

She'd studied him, his posture, his technique, his gear.  
And then she'd spotted it.

Eren's gear was broken.

"Sorry, sir." Asami apologized, sitting Eren up. "I noticed that his gear is defective."

Shadis' nasty expression melted, replaced by one of amusement. "Oh? Alright then, he will get another go. Switch belts."  
Asami removed her gear and slipped it around Eren's waist. She cranked the lever in circles, the wires pulling Eren up off the ground.

Everybody held their breaths, waiting.

But he hung there, surprised that he didn't fall over.

Everybody cheered. Eren pumped his fists in the air. "I did it!" He yelled. He looked back at Asami, who was smiling at her friend. He didn't even need to say it. His eyes said everything.  
 _I'm a soldier now. Bring it._

Asami lowered Eren to the ground where he sat. Everybody crowded around, congratulating him.

Asami kneeled down and threw her arms around her friend. Armin squatted down and clapped his friend on the shoulder. Eren laughed.  
Shadis looked on proudly at the cadets. _Grisha, today,_

 _Your son is a soldier._

"Look at that," Levi said, watching the swarm of cadets. "The Princess noticed."  
Erwin chuckled. "She looks out for that boy." He didn't say anymore, because Levi knew what he was going to say. _It'd be a shame if they joined and lost each other._

Levi had learned his lesson about building up relationships in the Scout Regiment. And that lesson was something,

He never wanted to relive.

In a matter of three days, 27 cadets were shipped to the fields, not able to take the pressure, or not able to keep their balance.

The next day they'd get to practice with ODMG in the woods.

Mikasa and Asami were utterly brilliant with their gear. At first, it was impossible to see who the faster soldier was, or who was more skilled. Their styles of flying through the air were quite the opposite.

Mikasa was quick and strict. She knew just how to use her gas supply to go maximum speed. She cut to the left and right quickly. She was always straight up, and almost never risked getting close to the ground.

Asami, on the other hand, was a free-spirit. She flew through the woods, doing unnecessary flips when she landed on branches to get back into the air. She would head toward a tree, and make a cut at the last second. She could spin around a trunk and manage to stay ahead of the class. She could shoot her anchor in a tree, and fall to the ground, where she'd pull up quickly.  
She'd never felt happier in her life. Asami smiled and laughed as she passed her comrades and made it to the head of the class, her and Mikasa leading their fellow cadets through the maze of trees.

"The girl is brilliant." Erwin marveled, watching her fly ahead of her classmates. "She looks completely free."  
"You're right." Levi agreed.

Asami pulled back, letting a few of her classmates pass her, so she could fly alongside Armin. He was lagging behind, along with Connie and Sasha.  
"How you holding up?" Asami asked him. She had to yell to be heard.

"I'm… I'm okay." He panted. He was sweating, his blond hair stuck to the sides of his face.

She grabbed his hand. "Come on."  
Armin's eyes widened. "You can't pull me along! You'll get points taken off!"

The girl laughed. "Who cares? It's amazing not staring at people's asses! Let's go!"  
She dragged him through the sky.

Armin tried to look worried for his friends score, but he understood why she loved going fast.

The feeling was _amazing._ He could've followed her forever.

The two slowed at Eren, who couldn't believe them. "You're so fast, it unbelievable!" He exclaimed.

Asami grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's get to the front."

"No way! You're gonna' get enough points taken off for pulling Armin along! Pulling the both of us will majorly affect your score!"

"Not if we pass Mikasa." Asami grinned. "Not many people can pass her while pulling along their friends."

He was about to protest, when Asami zipped off, pulling the boys along.

And like Armin, Eren didn't even have the guts to protest, not after feeling what she'd felt this entire time.

"This is amazing!" Eren cried.

Asami grinned at him. They'd long passed Mikasa. The others were still in view, trying to catch up to the three, though they knew it was hopeless.

"That chick's an animal!" Connie exclaimed. "She pulled Eren _and_ Armin, and she stayed ahead!"

"She's really good with her gear!" Krista said, smiling.

"She's hot." Reiner added, smirking.

"Reiner!" Krista scolded, but giggled anyways.

"Keep going, guys. I'll catch up in a minute." Asami told the boys.

She didn't shoot an anchor, and let herself fall. She let the two men on horses pass her, and shot anchors into the grass. She came to a run on the ground besides the horses.

Despite how fast they were going to keep up with the cadets using ODMG, Asami could keep up just fine running.

"What do you guys think?" She asked, grinning at Erwin and Levi.

"You're a natural." Erwin praised. "Your form is beautiful. You're an excellent soldier, Asami."

"Thank you." The girl said, smiling at the man. She looked to Levi. "No comment, Shorty?" She asked daringly, smirking.

"Tch. You're letting those two brats hold you back. How fast can you really go?"

Asami shrugged. "Don't know. It's seems overkill for the person leading the class to go too far ahead, right?"

Their conversation was interrupted.

"Suzuki!" Shadis barked. "Stop dilly-dallying and get your ass back in the air!"

Asami rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. See you later."

She launched anchors into trees, coming to the middle of the herd.

"There you are!" Sasha exclaimed. "We couldn't believe how fast you were going! You're awesome!"

Asami grinned. "Want a go?" She asked. Not bothering to wait for an answer, she took Sasha's hand and forged ahead of the class.

"Oi!" Connie called. "Not fair!"

Sasha laughed hysterically. "Awesome!"

As they passed Mikasa, who was a little further ahead of the rest of the class and clearly frustrated she couldn't catch the boys, Asami grabbed her sleeve in her three fingers, the other two firing the anchors.

Mikasa looked surprised.

"What?" Asami asked, grinning. "You didn't think I'd leave you back here, did you?"

Mikasa smiled.

It wasn't long before Asami, Mikasa, and Sasha caught up to the two boys, who looked to be struggling to keep going at their insane speed.

"Having trouble?" Asami asked, smirking.

"How do you… go this fast… all of the time?" Armin asked.

The girl grinned. "There's always room for improvement. I'll get faster."

"Yahoo!" Sasha shouted, getting ahead of the group.

"Take a U turn back to camp once you see the end of the woods!" Shadis called from his horse on the ground. "Go faster, maggots!" He snapped at some other cadets.

Asami laughed at Sasha. "No way I'm letting Potato Girl get ahead! Race you guys back to camp!"  
She turned at the edge of the forest, passing Sasha.

"Hey! No fair!" Eren yelled, firing an anchor next to her. But he was laughing.

~* Time Skip *~

"Come on, Arlert!" Shadis barked at the cadet. "Move your ass!"  
The cadets were running through the woods in the pouring rain, where they'd be camping for the night.

Each was carrying a pack with anything they felt they needed. Tents, food, and firewood were not allowed to be brought on the trip. The purpose was to teach survival skills.  
So, Asami had packed a large blanket, rope, her sleeping clothes, and a blade. She'd helped her friends pack as well.

 _Don't pack heavy, or you'll regret it_. Asami had said, knowing full well Shadis wouldn't let them ride horses or use ODMG.

It was the final year of training. Along with ODM training and training to take down the makeshift Titans in the woods, the cadets were being forced to run to their campsite miles into the woods on a monthly basis, and were learning hand-to-hand combat.  
This was the second time they'd had to run five miles to their campsite. _Only 10 more to go._ Asami thought bitterly.

She'd been leading the class, but had fallen back to Armin. He'd forgotten a rain jacket and was sopping wet, (as was Asami, but that was because she had given her rain coat to her good friend, Marco). His hair was plastered around his face and in his eyes. He was breathing heavily.

The wind and rain was coming right at them, making it harder to run and see.

"Hey." Asami said. Armin looked at her, only just realizing she was there. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm… okay." He panted. You should… go back to… the front. Shadis is… going… to get angry."  
And as if on cue, Shadis barked at Asami. "Suzuki! Don't waste your time with this maggot! Get your ass back to the front!" He then proceeded to go faster on his horse, up to the front where he started snapping at Reiner.

"He's has a point." Erwin's voice said, beside her.  
The Commander and Captain were riding horses as well.

"I'm not saying you should abandon your comrade," Erwin added. "But you're going to lose points."  
"Hi, Erwin!" Asami called, smiling up at the men. "Hi, Shorty."  
"Long time no see, Princess." Levi said, rolling his eyes. "He's right, you know. You can't keep stopping for your friends."

"I can do what I want. And I'm not _stopping_." Asami said, grabbing Armin's sleeve. "I'm pushing him forward."  
She picked up the pace, past the horses, Armin trailing behind her.  
"Asami-" He started.

"Don't worry!" She yelled, smiling. "Just draft me. It'll make it easier on you if I'm taking the wind."  
Asami passed most of her comrades, who cheered her on or yelled.

"You go, Asami!" She heard Krista yell.

"She's so fast!" Sasha exclaimed.  
"Armin's not weighing her down at all!" Marco noted.

"How is she so damn fast?" Connie groaned.

Asami laughed, as she made her way back to the front, pulling Armin up beside her.

Shadis rode on his horse next to them. "Suzuki!" He snapped. "5 points taken away for pulling Arlert ahead! Arlert! 5 points taken away for drafting the Princess!"

"Now that's not fair." Asami said, smiling at the Instructor. "Just take ten points from me. I told him to do it."

"Asami-" Armin started.  
Shadis narrowed his eyes at the girl. "I'll leave your points. Arlert will just fall back again and you'll keep pulling him ahead. There's no point in continuing to take away points, because it would put you behind the rest of the class, and that's not where you really stand." He looked ahead. "You're a good comrade, Suzuki. But you won't be able to help all of them in a battle." His horse fell back to the rest of the cadets, where he snapped at them to go faster.

"Look at the Princess up there!" She heard him yell. "How could all of you maggots be slower than her? She just dragged Arlert's sorry ass past you all, and she's back in the lead! Faster, Braus, or you don't eat tonight!"

"Asami!" Armin wailed.

"What?" She asked.

"You can't keep pushing me forward! I need to be able to do this on my own!"  
He seemed oddly frustrated, which confused Asami.

"I can't depend on you or Eren or Mikasa for everything!"

Asami could tell he was upset, but she smiled anyways. "This is pointless, if you ask me. I know it's for survival skills and tolerance and all that, but since when are we running from Titans? That'd be suicide. I'm going to help you pull to the front, Armin. Because I can't look at you back there. I'm going to help you now," She paused, and smiled again. "Because I couldn't help you back then. You've helped me plenty."

His eyes widened. "Since when have I…"  
Armin faltered, as they reached the space between all the trees where they'd camp for the night.

The rain had stopped. The wind wasn't as powerful.  
Mikasa joined up with Asami and Armin, then Reiner and Bertholdt, then the rest of the group.

Shadis, holding a clipboard, and the Scouts slid off their horses.

"To announce the finishers in order;" Shadis said, racking off the names from last to first. "In last, we have Springer, then Braus, Bott, Carolina, Wagner, Zeramuski, Nac, Kirschtein, Ymir, Krista, Jaeger, Hoover, Leonhart, Braun, Ackerman, Arlert, and finally, Suzuki. That was pitiful, cadets. The only three that excelled were Suzuki and Ackerman, because they're the only ones who know how to _run_ , and Arlert because he was the only maggot who kept up with them. Now, make yourselves useful. We set up camp later."  
"Yes, sir!" The cadets saluted the instructor as he walked away to talk with the Scouts.

Asami went into the woods with Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Jean, Marco, Sasha, and Connie for firewood. Ymir, Krista, and the other went to go looking for dinner.

After they built a five-foot tall stack of wood next to the circle of stones that would serve as a fire pit, Asami went to talk to the Scouts.

"It's good to see you, Asami." Erwin said, shaking the girl's hand.

"You, too. You haven't been by in a while. I was worried." Asami said, smiling at the men.

Erwin chuckled.

Levi raised an eyebrow. "What'd you think happened? We're not gonna' die that easily, Princess." He sounded slightly annoyed, but secretly, Levi found it amusing that she'd been worried about them.

"I know." She said quietly. "You guys used to come by a lot. What was I supposed to think when you suddenly stopped showing up?" She'd raised her voice a bit to prove her point.  
Erwin raised an eyebrow, but laughed. "You're right. I apologize, we should've warned you our visits wouldn't be as frequent."

"I honestly didn't think the brat would be all that worried." Levi said.

"Of course I was, Shorty." She said, poking him in the chest. "I was worried you'd died on one of your expeditions." Asami had taken a liking to the older men, especially Levi, whom she loved to tease. She'd liked to sit with them and talk whenever they visited the training camp.

And they'd taken a liking to her as well; The way she smiled and laughed, not matter how sore or down she was, how she teased them, how she pried for information about expeditions, and how she would listen to their stories about what it was like beyond the Walls.

Levi would never admit it, but the girl had grown on him. He liked how he could poke fun at her and she'd just laugh. He also liked how she was shorter than he was. Not many people were.

"Tch. You'd better get used to it, Princess."  
"What?" Asami asked, looking up at Erwin.

"We're not going to be coming by as often." Erwin explained. "We already know the cadets who excel with ODMG and using their blades. We'll be observing tolerance once after this, in a few months, then we'll be by again for the start of hand-to-hand combat. After that," He shrugged. "We won't be coming back."  
"But," Asami stuttered, trying to calculate how long that was. "The next time I'll see you after this is, like, four months from now!"

A smile tugged at the corner of Levi's lips. "Going to miss us, brat?" He asked the girl.

"Yeeeees." She whined. "Then after that it's only a few weeks. But then it's like, five months until we chose our corps." Her expression saddened. "Whyyyyy?" Asami complained.

"Because, brat," he tapped her forehead. "Hand-to-hand combat isn't a mandatory skill. We already know what you can do with your gear and your blades. That's what we need to know."  
"Levi's right." Erwin agreed. "We'll be observing hand-to-hand combat, then, well, it's up to you whether or not we see each other again."

Asami blinked at the man, before realizing what he meant. "I'm still joining the Scouts."

Erwin smiled, almost sadly. Levi knew this look. It was a look he got when he was disappointed.

And Levi knew why. He felt the same.  
Yes, he wanted to see the brat again, but in all honestly, he didn't want her to join the Survey Corps. There was a great chance she could die.

That Jaeger kid still wanted to join, as well, according to Asami. If it wasn't being eaten, it would be the death of her friends that killed her.

And as much as either of the men tried to picture it, they couldn't see sweet, happy, giddy Asami in tears, broken over a friend's death.

"Anyways," Asami said, plastering a smile back on her face. "I don't think Ymir and Krista are having much luck with dinner. I'm going to go help." The two had been calling for the others, complaining that they'd need way more food for the cadets.  
"Go be useful, brat." Levi said. "Just know you'll have to share, later."

Asami giggled. "You got it." She turned and ran towards the river that stretched around the Northern side of the campsite.

All of her friends were gathered their, complaining that they had nothing to fish with.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Asami asked, kneeling beside the river.  
Erwin and Levi drifted closer in an attempt to see what the girl would do.

"What do you mean, 'what are we waiting for'?" Jean asked. "We have nothing to fish with!"  
"Hmmm." Asami stared into the lake.

Her friends watched to see what she would do.

Suddenly, without warning, she plunged her hands into the lake. The water was freezing, but it didn't matter. She caught it.

Asami pulled her hands out of the lake, revealing a foot-long fish wiggling in her grasp. "Somebody gave us hands for a reason, didn't they?" She asked her friends.

They all blinked at her, but eventually, Sasha got down and stared into the lake. Then Jean. Then Eren.

"Resourceful, that one." Erwin said, nodding in Asami's direction.

"Tch. A brat though." Levi replied.

Erwin chuckled.

Two hours later, and everybody caught three or four or five fish each.

The group had just been talking by the river, when Jean took a small fish Connie had caught and rubbed it against Asami's face.

"Ew, Jean!" Asami squealed, cupping her hand with water and flinging it at him.

Oi, Princess, you got my shirt wet!" He complained.  
Jean was about to lunge at her, when Asami kicked off her boots and waded into the river.

Jean looked at her wide eyed from the shore.

The water went up to Asami's neck, and she didn't even need to try to stay afloat. "This is refreshing."

Jean smirked, kicked off his boots, and waded in after her. He splashed water in her face.  
Asami squealed. "Jean! Stop!" She yelled playfully, flicking water back at him.

When their friends saw the fun the two were having, Sasha and Connie decided to join, too.

"Whoa!" Connie exclaimed. "This is nice! Not nearly as cold as it felt before!"

"I know!" Sasha moaned. "I was aching from running all day."

"You guys are going to get in trouble!" Eren called from the grass.

Asami swam up to him, and grabbed his hand. He hovered over the water, trying to keep his balance. "Oh, stop being a wuss. The water's great!" She said, tugging her friend over the edge.

He yelled out, before going under. When he surfaced, he was laughing. "You were right. The water's great!"  
The others, not wanting to be left out, jumped in, too. All except Armin, who sat on the grass, glancing back at the campsite nervously. "Guys, you should get out. Shadis is going to be pissed." He attempted feebly.

Asami grinned mischievously, and hoisted herself out of the water.

"Asami?" Armin asked. He backed up when she started coming near him.

"Come on, Armin! Get in the water!"  
"Come on, Armin!" Everybody else called.

"I… I don't- Asami!" He cried.

Asami picked the boy up bridal-style, despite his protests. "What're you-"  
She threw him into the river.

The blond boy surfaced, his wet hair stuck to the sides of his face again. "Asami!" He cried.

The girl put her hands on her hips. "Look me in the eye and tell me that water doesn't feel nice." She challenged.

Everybody laughed, and Armin was too embarrassed to reply.

They'd all been splashing each other, joking around and having fun in the water, when everybody went dead silent.  
The Instructor stood at the edge of the lake, a vein in his neck bulging. "WHO THE HELL TOLD YOU YOU MAGGOTS COULD TAKE A BREAK?!" He yelled at the cadets.

Everybody waited for Asami's answer. _She_ was the one who'd gotten them into this, after all. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.

"You wouldn't want us smelling like a bunch of animals later, would you?" Asami called to Shadis. "I mean, we've been running all day. We were sweating. We caught dinner and decided to wash up. That's okay, right, Instructor?"

His face slackened a bit. "I suppose so." He mused. "You maggots always reek, worse than barnyard animals. At least you've finally learned some decency." And with that, to Asami's amazement, the man turned and walked away.  
Everybody cheered.  
"Way to go, Asami!" Reiner yelled, patting her on the head.

The girl smiled. Eren hoisted her up on his shoulder.

"Eren, I swear, if you throw me-" She warned, but didn't get to finish.  
Eren grinned up at her mischievously, before launching the small girl off his shoulder, where she went sailing back into the water.

She surfaced, but she wasn't mad. She started cracking up, as did everybody around her.

 _This_ , Asami thought, _Is happiness._

 **Aaaaah! So, so sorry for the huge gap between the first and second chapters! I've been so busy lately! Anyways, I'm sorry for the lack of action and whatnot in this chapter. I also apologize for any errors in the writing, I wrote this chapter so long ago and don't remember if I re-read it :/ I'll be posting Chapter 3 today as well, to make up for not posting a chapter last week. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and as always, leave a review!**

 **Byeeeee**


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